The pump industry has used reciprocating pumps for many years to great effect. However, over the years, the market has placed higher demands on reciprocating pumps to operate at higher flow rates and pressures and to have longer operation lives. These market demands are pushing pumps to the limits of current design and materials technology. One result of these market demands has been an increase in failures rates of fluid end manifolds for reciprocating pumps.
Within the fluid end manifolds, several interactions are being realized as the pump operates with the reciprocating cycle. During the pump operation, fluids are compressed within the fluid end manifold, creating positive pressure during pumping. After the compression cycle is completed, the reciprocating action continues creating a vacuum within the fluid end chamber which then draws fluid back into the fluid end manifold. These pumps must operate continuously at speeds up to 350 cycles per minute. Pressures generated within the fluid end manifolds can be up to 20,000 psi or more.
Consequently, the fluid end manifold is constantly under variable stressing. This constant variable stressing may result in fatigue. It is well known within the industry that fatigue has a significant effect on the fluid end manifold life expectancy, often resulting in fatigue failure of the fluid end manifolds. This fatigue failure may be a result of the fluid end manifold flexing and/or ballooning under internal pressure loads. Fatigue failure may occur if the pressures realized within the fluid end manifold are high enough to effect the material stressing.
Thus, there is a need for an improved fluid end manifold assembly that is able to withstand the variable stressing associated with high pressure pumps.